


I Want You To Understand

by GeorgePelant



Category: RWBY
Genre: Canon Lesbian Character, Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Ilia and Weiss are useless lesbians, Multi, Unrequited Love, Useless Lesbians
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-08-29
Packaged: 2019-02-28 14:44:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 11,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13273662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeorgePelant/pseuds/GeorgePelant
Summary: Ilia can't imagine how Blake could be friends with a Schnee. But after a while, she starts to understand how easy it can be to like Weiss Schnee...in both meanings of the word.Set after V 5 Ep. 11, may or may not be canon compliant after that.UPDATE: Still canon (for all intents and purposes) as of Ep. 13Inspired pretty much entirely by But Did You Really Think I'd Shut an Open Door by BeNiceToNerds (http://archiveofourown.org/works/13189200/chapters/30169005?show_comments=true&view_full_work=false#comment_143030118)





	1. After Everything

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BeNiceToNerds](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeNiceToNerds/gifts).



> Here's hoping I can actually stick with a fic this time lol

The battle for Haven was over, but Blake wasn’t celebrating. Things weren’t completely fucked, but they weren’t great either. The bandit leader and her maiden (you’re having trouble wrapping your head around this whole maiden and magic business, to be honest) have taken the Relic and disappeared, the fall maiden escaped, badly injured, and all the others disappeared. The city was in turmoil, but none of it penetrated the walls of the house where everyone was staying. Blake sat on a simple wooden chair next to the bed where the Schnee lay, staring at her hands. I watched from the hallway, my skin blending in with the wood paneling behind me. 

“Come  _ in _ , Ilia.” Blake says, her voice tired and frustrated. I feel a wave of guilt wash over me as I step into the room. She looks up at me, amber eyes rimmed in red. She must have seen the look on my face, because she says “I don’t expect you to understand.” and I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from saying something nasty. 

“I don’t.” I say. It’s the truth. But that doesn’t mean she’s wrong. Blake let out a heavy sigh. 

“When Beacon was attacked, Adam found me.” she began, her voice twisting from saying his name. “Not only did I get hurt,” -her hand moved to the wound- “But my teammate, my  _ best friend _ , got hurt. Protecting  _ me. _ ” 

Her voice hitched. 

“I ran. I just... _ ran _ .” She wiped her eyes. “And now I’ve come back, but I’m too late. And it’s happened _ again _ .”

I crouched down, making my eyes level with hers.

“But you stopped running. You  _ did _ come back.”

She looked away. 

“I’m a failure.” she said, her voice breaking. I hugged her, squeezing her tight. Her arms hung limp.

“Don’t you  _ dare _ say that. Besides, that’s  _ my _ job.”

In an instant, her arms were wrapped around me.    

“Don’t-” 

She stopped herself, and I could sense her smile. 

“I’m contradicting myself, aren’t I?”

I patted her lightly on the back. It was proving harder than I thought to turn my feelings toward Blake platonic. I release my grip, coming face to face with her. Her faunus ears were dipped forward in sorrow. 

“Why don’t you tell me what I don’t understand?”


	2. Talking about Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ilia hears Blake's explanation, and meets her friend's teammate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Feels and shitty puns ahead.

“In the beginning,” Blake began, “Weiss was...kind of a bitch, to be honest.”

I snorted, doing all I could to stop myself from laughing openly. A small smile crossed Blake’s face. 

“I feel horrible saying it but, well, she was acted like you’d expect her too. Arrogant, prissy, all the rest of it. I was terrified when I outed myself as a faunus.”

I saw red, my skin turning the same color, my hands contracting to fists without me noticing. I felt a hand on my shoulder, looked up, and found myself looking into Blake’s eyes. I nodded, taking a deep breath, closing my eyes. When I opened them, my skin had returned to it’s normal hue, and Blake was back to looking at the Schnee.     

“I was gone for twelve hours. And in those twelve hours, Weiss decided that my past didn’t matter. And she meant it. And she tried, and she changed. Because she cared about me.” She hung her head. “And I can’t help but feel that I let her down. That I let my whole team down.” She took a shaky breath in. “And I still don’t have the courage to face them.”

“Blake…” 

I put out my hand to comfort her, but as it made with her shoulder her body fizzled into nothingness. A moment later I heard footsteps approach, and a tall blonde entered the room. Her vibrant hair was pulled back in a ponytail, like me. Her orange tank top barely covered her belly button, revealing her sculpted abs. Her arms were similarly muscular, the right a yellow and black prosthetic above the elbow. I tear my eyes from her muscles, and she’s glaring at me. 

“Well? Can I help you?” she snaps. Babbling, I rise from the bench.

“N-no, sorry, I was just-”    

She closes her eyes, raising her right hand apologetically. The left is shaking uncontrollably. She grabs it none too gently, forcing it to hold still.

“I’m sorry. I’m on edge, and my temper’s not great in the best of times.” She smiles. “Mind scooting over?”

“Sure.”

Her abs ripple as she sits down next to me. 

“You’re from Menagerie.” She says.

“You’re her teammate.” I say. 

We both know those weren’t questions. She takes a deep breath and lets it out, leaning forward so her chin rests on her hands, her elbows on her thighs.

“Do you know Blake?” 

“We...were in the White Fang together.” I answer carefully. “The old White Fang.” We’re both looking at the Schnee, and I know I’m thankful she hasn’t woken up. “I...looked up to her. When the White Fang started getting...extreme, she left. I didn’t.”  _ Godsdamnit, why am I crying? _

“If you don’t want to, you don’t-”

“No.” I look at her, her face concerned. “I need to get this off my chest.”

“Alright. I just don’t want you to feel... _ blue _ .” She suddenly looks into the distance, like she’s made a huge mistake. “Wait. Was that racist?”

Despite myself, I smile, wiping a tear from my eye.

“No. Just a really,  _ really,  _ shitty pun.”

“Was it sickening? You look a little... _ off color. _ ”

I glare at her.  

“You cheered me up, but at what cost?” We smile together. “Blake saved my life. As corny as it sounds, she saved my soul. She gave me a second chance.” I felt her pat me on the back. When I look over, she’s looking at the Schnee. 

“Weiss told me to have faith in Blake. That she’d come back. ‘Until then, the only thing we can do now is be there for her when she’s ready.’” She made a sound between a sigh and a laugh. “I’m not looking forward to her smugness when she wakes up.”

There’s a moment of silence. 

“Blake isn’t ready.” She said. “Is she?”

Her face was pain, and sorrow, and longing.  

“She feels she let you down. And that she let her team down. And she doesn’t know if she can face you.”

The girl held her shaking arm so tight I thought she’d break her own fingers. 

“What’re you doing here, anyway?” She finally said, dealing with the problem by ignoring it. “Not Haven, I mean.”

_ What *am* I doing here? _

“I could tell...that Blake cared about her.” I gestured at the girl in the bed. “I didn’t understand. I’m still not sure if I do.” 

The girl smirked. 

“Yeah, Weiss’ll surprise you.” She stuck out her hand. “Yang.” 

I took it. “Ilia Amitola.” She smiled, and got up to leave. She turned towards me suddenly, and stuck out a fist.

“Gay For Blake Club. Pound it.”

I could feel myself turning pink. “Was I that obvious?” I said, ashamed. Yang smiled. 

“Lucky guess.”

I fist-bumped her. “You too, huh?”

Her face fell. “Yeah. Me too.”

She turned and marched away as fast as socially acceptable. 

“Good luck!” I blurted out, but she was already gone.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter in a nutshell:  
> Yang: Is Blake here?  
> (Glass shatters as Blake dives through the window)  
> Ilia: You know what? She just left.  
> If you don't think Yang and Ilia would get matching Gay For Blake Club t-shirts you're wrong, sorry.


	3. Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow, we finally get some real interaction between the main ship!

I heard a faint rustle of sheets behind me. I looked, and saw the girl, Weiss, propping herself up on her elbows, blinking in a dazed manner. 

“Where am I?” she said to herself, and then she saw me. I froze. “What happened?” she asked. 

“You were hurt. You’ve been unconscious for a while.” It’s all I can think to say. 

“Where are the others? Are they okay?” She starts to get out of bed, panic rising in her voice. I rush over, putting my hands on her shoulders. 

“They’re ok.” I say, and then realize I don’t know if I’m right. “You need to rest.” 

She’s staring at me. 

“What?”

She smiles, her eyes happy, the left one bisected by a vertical scar. 

“I’m lucky.” She says. “I got a hot nurse.” Her voice rasps as she says it, and I turn my back, searching the room for a sink, a water bottle, something, hiding my blush. I find a glass and a spigot, and hand her the glass. She reaches for it with both hands, then takes it with her right hand, grasping my own with her left. “Weiss.” She says, shaking my hand. 

“Ilia.” I stammer. She smiles sweetly before downing the glass in one long sip. I shuffle awkwardly towards the door. “I’ll go get your friends, Miss Schnee.”

“Don’t call me Miss Schnee!” 

Her voice isn’t angry, but scared. Pained. Her blue eyes are filled with tears, cascading down her face uncontrollably. “I’m sorry.” she says, and I’m shocked at the shame in her voice. “I shouldn’t have-” 

She collapses down onto one elbow, eyes unfocused. Her arms lolls off the bed, and I dive to stop the glass from shattering on the floor below. As I gently lay her arm back under the covers it grabs my own, pulling it to her chest like a teddy bear. My arm turns pink in her grasp as she snuggles up to it. I don’t make a habit of watching people sleep, but she looked…

I worm my arm out of her embrace. She reaches out, whimpering in her sleep. There’s a spare pillow under the bench; I grab it and stuff it into her arms, and she wraps herself around it. She looks peaceful. 

 

I needed to clear my  head. Worse, I was hungry. I made my way through the house towards the common area, where the kitchen was. Unfortunately, it was occupied. A tall boy with long black hair stood at the stove, adding to a pile of pancakes of  _ considerable _ height. He slid a pile of ten or so onto a plate, carrying it one-handed, like a waiter, to a red-headed girl sitting impatiently at the low table. The boy wore a pink apron with the words  _ Please Do Nothing To The Cook _ embroidered on it, the girl a matching  _ I Want To Do Things To The Cook ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)  _ t-shirt. At the countertop, two skinny boys stood, one blonde and tall, wearing a pumpkin pete’s hoodie, the other short, with black hair, worn white collared shirt, and suspenders. I watched in fascination as the girl wolfed down the pancakes with  _ alarming _ speed. 

“I’m afraid that’s normal.”

I’ve been noticed; the boy in the apron’s looking at me. He’s got a funny little streak of pink in his hair, above his left eye. We lock eyes, and he does a little bow, hand over his waist. 

“I’m Ren. The black hole from which no food can escape is Nora.”

“Jaune Arc.” said the blonie. He looks like he’s been missing sleep.

“Oscar.” said the other boy over his shoulder. “Sorry, my hands are a full of pie dough at the moment.” 

Nora, a pancake hanging out of her mouth, makes a happy sound and does a little wave.             

“Ilia.”

“Thanks for your support.” Jaune says. “I don’t think we could’ve done it without you.”

It’s been...too long since I was given an honest compliment. And it felt good not to have to rationalize to myself that I was doing the right thing. 

“Thank you.” I say, and then I realize that I said it so quietly no one heard me. Oh jeez. “Oh, uh, I said it but-” Ren holds up his hand. He’s smiling, but in a kind way. 

“We’re still getting used to having extra people around, but we tend to all cook for each other.” He lets out a sigh. “And then Nora will eat the rest, so make sure to mark your leftovers.” He gestures at the other two boys. “We’re making apple pies for later, you’re welcome to have some, or cook something of your own.”

I raise an eyebrow. 

“Are you making any actual food?”

Ren looks at Jaune and Oscar; they look sheepish. 

“We hadn’t really gotten that far.” Oscar says. “I was just in the mood to make pies.”

“I like peeling apples.” Jaune says. “It’s...relaxing.”

“Well,” I say, “I can whip up a mean curry. I’d be happy to make one, if you’d like.” 

Everyone shared glances. 

“I think we would like that.” Ren said, and the others nodded.

I smiled, and got to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcanon that Weiss sleeps with a body pillow because she uses it as a substitution for the affection she was never given by her parents and oh heck I made myself sad  
> Also if you don't think Jaune with a heckton of siblings and Oscar with just him and his aunt don't know how to cook I feel bad for ya son  
> Also Also RoosterTeeth WHEN ARE YOU GONNA ADD REN'S APRON TO THE MERCH STORE I WANT IT


	4. You can't catch me, gay thoughts (yes they can)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't know what to put for the chapter title so here you go. This one's a bit short.

I was adding the finishing touches, everyone else preparing the table. 

“Ohhhhh, something smells good!”

I turn, and I see Yang walking into the room with two others. One was shorter, younger, in a bright red cape that moved with her as she skipped along. The other was a middle-aged man who walked hunched over, hands in his pockets. I wave to Yang, hoping I don’t make a fool of myself again. She gestures to the two people with her. 

“My sis, Ruby.”

“Hiya!”

“And my uncle Qrow.” 

He’s tall, unkempt, and I can smell the booze from his breath across the room. He looks at me and I know, I just  _ know _ , that he sees right through me and everything that I’ve done. His eyes narrow. 

Yang gestures in my direction. “Ilia.” Then, she leans over and whispers something in Qrow’s ear, and he just grunts in response. Yang frowns.

“I made curry!” I say, trying to lighten the mood. 

“So  _ that’s _ what smells so good! Can I have some?” 

I like Ruby. She’s cute, but not like Blake or Yang ( _ or Weiss _ , my brain interjects) is cute. She’s cute like a puppy, or a little kid dressing up in their parent’s clothes. She sits down at the table next to Oscar, and they smile at each other. I fill everyone’s bowl with rice, and then ladle the green curry over it. I hand the first bowl to Qrow.

“Thanks kiddo.” 

His voice is tired. I make my way around the table, giving everyone a bowl.

“Dig in.”

 

Luckily for me, everyone seemed to enjoy it. Even Qrow, who doesn’t look like he enjoys anything. I was clearing the table when we heard a door open and I saw the Schnee-- _ Weiss _ \--in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe. She smiled, weakly. 

“Good afternoon.” 

Her voice is better now; pretty. Next to me, Ruby vaults over the table, becoming a stream of rose petals rocketing across the room. I see Weiss go limp; it’s clear she’s used to this. 

“Ruby!” Yang yells out, in that very specific tone of panic older siblings and parents use when a loved one is doing something unbelievably stupid. She’s in the middle of getting up, her prosthetic limb outstretched. There’s a soft thud, and it launches itself towards Ruby, grabbing her shoulder. The impact stumbles her, and she looks back and forth from the prosthetic latched onto her to Weiss. Finally, she gasps loudly. 

“Weiss is still alive! Yang’s robot arm is a rocket!” She says, practically dancing back and forth. “This is so  _ EXCITING!!!!!”  _

Weiss pushes herself upright, making her way, unsteady, towards her teammate, enveloping her in a hug. Ruby, for her part, looks shocked. 

“I missed you too.” I hear Weiss say, voice cracking with emotion. “You dolt.”

Ruby hugs her back best she can with her arms pinned to her sides. 

“Nice Weiss is back!” she chirps happily. All the others move towards them at various speeds, but I’m not really sure what to do. Jaune’s practically bawling; Weiss embraces him and I hear words like ‘semblance’ and ‘saved’ and ‘life.’ When they let go, they’re both crying. Everyone’s hugging her, or patting her on the shoulder, or in Qrow’s case rubbing her none too gently on the head. And I’m just standing here like an idiot. And she’s noticed me, walking toward me and  _ FUCK _ I wish I believed in the gods so they could see how hard I’m trying not to change color right now. She stops, looks me up and down, and sticks out her hand.

“Thank you.” 

I hesitate, and gently shake her hand. It’s warm, and the fingers wrap around mine and act like they don’t want to let go. 

“For what?” Every bone in my body wants to yell at her, to run, to get out. 

“For the water.” she says, oblivious to the difficulty she’s causing me. Of course she is. I nod. 

“Excuse me.” I say, turning, making for the door. The second I’m out I take my whip, jump off the balcony, and sling myself through the air, faster and faster until my surroundings become a blur and I can’t think of anything except trying not to crash.  


	5. Surprise Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well I just saw the season finale and while I have A TON OF FEELS (despite a feeling of meh but that could just be 'oh no it's over') I wrote another chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No longer canon compliant :(

I knock on Blake’s balcony door and she lets me in, no questions asked. Sun is there, along with the elder Belladonnas. 

“Ilia! Wassup?” says Sun, lounging lazily on a sofa, amplifying his surfer-dude vibe. Blake holds up a hand to quiet him. Blake gets me. 

“Ilia? You okay?” she asks, but we both know I’m not. The house is spacious, with a large balcony where you can look down at the first floor. I lean on the railing, watching Ghira and Kali hash out plans over a large circular table. Like Blake, they can tell when I just want to be left alone. Thank the gods. I have a sneaking suspicion they can tell because Blake’s the same way, and smile to myself. Then there’s a knock on the door. Kali Belladonna walks towards it, confidently, gracefully, and opens it. And there’s the Schnee. 

God  _ FUCKING  _ damnit.

She’s looking down at the ground, hands clasped in front of her, hair in a side ponytail like a waterfall of snow. She looks at the Belladonnas.

“Can I come in?”

“Of course.” Kali says. Ghira rises from his spot leaning over the table, standing next to his wife. He possesses an intimidating demeanor, like a land mine you’ve stepped on but hasn’t exploded yet. Weiss takes a nervous step forward over the threshold. 

“I wanted...to thank you.” she begins. “We couldn’t have done it without you.” 

A pause. Then, she speaks again. “I also wanted to thank you for...bringing Blake with you.” Her eyes are wet with tears. “She’s more family than my own-” She stops herself, and when she starts again her voice is shaky. “I missed her.  _ We _ missed her.” She executes a perfect curtsy. She heads for the door, barely holding herself together. “I know you’d rather I leave.”

“Stop.” Ghira Belladonna doesn’t talk much, but when he does, he means it. Weiss freezes. “Did anyone say anything about wanting you gone?”

“...No. Sir.”

“Don’t call me Sir. You’re not the only one who hates formality.” 

She gives a tense nod of the head. Kali swoops in in full Mom Mode, laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. 

“Why don’t you sit down? I’ll put on some tea.”

The dam bursts open. Weiss is standing there, arms hugging herself, bawling her eyes out. Kali embraces her gently and doesn’t let go. 

“It’s alright.” she says, gently patting Weiss on the back. “You can let it all out.”

And she does. Loud, choking sobs fill the air as she wraps her arms around the older woman. Ghira moves closer, resting a hand on Weiss’ shoulder. Eventually, her crying slows, then stops, gently untangling herself from the mutual embrace.

“I’m sorry.” she says, and Kali  _ immediately  _ shushes her.

“There’s no need to be sorry. Are you okay now?”

“I’m...better.” She takes a deep breath. “Thank you.”

“Oh, it’s no bother.” Kali says, waving a hand. “Do you want to talk about it?” 

Weiss wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. “I think I’m okay. Thank you.”

Mr. and Mrs. Belladonna nod in unison. “Of course.” Kali says. 

I look at Weiss as she walks out the door, then at Blake.

“I told you, she’ll surprise you.” she says, leaning on the railing next to me. Sun comes over, sitting on my other side, legs dangling.  

“Yeah.” I say. “She did.”


	6. The Useless Lesbians (tm)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Weiss and Ilia are what the title says. Hope I nailed the dialogue in this chapter, because there's a lot of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want this to be a slow burn but my Sinful Side wants to write smut and my Romantic Side wants them to get together.

Blake lays a hand on my shoulder. 

“Talk to her.” she says. I nod, and the next thing I know I’m hugging her.

“Thank you.”

Blake smiles.’

“What, no hug for me?” Sun says, and I roll my eyes, but he gets his hug. 

I make my way towards the main building the same way I left it. I walk through the halls, my boots clicking on the wooden floors. I find Weiss in an empty, out of the way room. She stands in the middle of the space, looking off into the distance, her feet shoulder width apart. With a deep breath, she raises her arms above her head. Her shoulders, her arms, are thick, muscular. She slowly bends over, moving to touch her toes, when she lets out a cry of pain and breaks her form.

“Are you alright?”

Weiss is looking at me and I realize the voice that said that was my own. She stands up slowly, one arm clutching her side, shoulders shrugging as her white hair cascades over it. 

“I suppose it’s still not healed.” she says, looking down at the wound, the red stain surrounding the ragged hole. Then she looks at me. “Did you want to talk about something?”

My first instinct was to make up some excuse.  _ Stop that.  _ I thought.  _ Don’t be stupid. _

“I expected you to be a lot of things. And you’ve been exactly none of them.” I said. “Everyone’s told me you’d surprise me, but it’s still...well, surprising. And I shouldn’t judge you for...where you came from. But I mess up sometimes. Every bone in my body wants to be mad at you but you’re trying so hard to be nice to me, and you don’t even know me, and it’s not what I expected. And I’m trying to understand.” 

Weiss nods, and then she smiles, her hands clasped in front of her

“Thank you for your honesty. It means a lot.” She looks down. “I spent my whole life trying to be who my father wanted me to be, trying to be a Schnee. I thought that was all I could ever be.” She turns away, looking out the window. “I’d be lying if I said I know how to be  _ me _ .” She looks at me. “ _ I  _ don’t understand me. But I’ll welcome your company while I try figure that out.”

I admit, I was taken aback. 

“Thanks.” I say, and we share a smile. She fidgets.

“Do you mind if we go somewhere else? I’ll go insane if I just sit here doing nothing.”

“Sure.” 

We make our way through the halls, wandering aimlessly. “Something wong?” I ask.

“It’s just...if I wanted to stand around being useless, I would've stayed in Atlas.” she sighed. “I can’t deny the company’s better here, though.”

“Gods, I’d rather be anywhere but Atlas.” I say, shuddering. 

“Me too.” she looks at me. “Did you...live in Atlas?”

“For a time.” I hesitate. I don’t want to tell a Schnee about my parents. But I feel alright telling Weiss. “I was able to...pass. As human. My parents spent every penny to keep me in a prestigious Atlas school.”        

A pause.

“They expelled you. For being a Faunus. Didn’t they?” 

Her voice has an edge to it.

“Technically, they expelled me for breaking these girls’ teeth.”

“Good.” she says with surprising force, then looks away, blushing. “Sorry.” I roll my eyes.

“No, go on.”

“I...used to be like that.” She looks at her feet.

“But you’re not like that anymore.”

“But-”

“But nothing. Nobody’s perfect. Believe me, I know.”

“Weiss! Ilia!” came a voice from behind us; we turned in unison. There stood Yang, waving. “Are you feeling better?” she says, addressing Weiss, who smiles.

“I can walk and talk, but that’s about it.”

Yang looks at me.

“Did she try to do ballet? The day after being  _ impaled _ ?”

Weiss gasped in mock offence. 

“How dare you! I thought we were friends.”

I can’t help but smile.

“We are.” I say, and she smiles back.

“Well, it’s good to see you too are getting along.” Yang says.

“Us short girls have to stick together.” She glares at me. “Although Ilia is adorably short but  _ she’s still taller than me. _ ”

Yang laughs, I blush. Weiss clapps a hand over her mouth, her face red.

“In case you haven’t noticed,” Yang begins, “Weiss is the most useless lesbian.”

“Really?” I say, not sure where the feeling in my gut is coming from. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“Stop.” Weiss says, her head in hands.

“Really.” Yang says, totally ignoring her. “You should have seen her the first week at Beacon. So busy looking at pretty girls she kept walking into doors.”

“That’s not fair!” Weiss objects. “It was the first time I had ever seen girls my own age.”

“Well, I don’t know who you thought you were fooling when you said you were straight.”

“Myself, I think.”

“Had you never really spent any time with people your own age?” I asked. Weiss shook her head. 

“No, just my tutors. And my brother.” her voice twists at the word. Yang looks at me.

“We don’t like the brother.” she says.

“We don’t” I agree. Weiss’ mood is still sour. 

“Don’t look so glum.” I say. “You can look at pretty girls all you want now. Or just look in a mirror.”

That last part comes out before I can stop myself, and my entire epidermis turns pink. Weiss turns a matching shade, and Yang’s grin stretched ear to ear. 

“Well then, I leave you two to it.” She says, turning on her heel, she skips away. Weiss and I come to an awkward stop in the middle of the hallway, avoiding each other’s gaze. The silence stretched out. Suddenly, she turns on her heel and shouts,

“Talk to Blake, you dolt!” before storming off as fast as her legs would carry her. I stand there for a moment, torn, before following.


	7. Guess who's back? Back again?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not dead! Just trying to balance this, my fantasy novel, my webcomic, university, and my new job AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA  
> More coming soon I promise! Sorry it's so short

Weiss walks at a furious pace down the hallway, her shoulders tense, her hands balled into fists. She steps outside onto the balcony, looking out over the city, the late afternoon sun glinting off the rooftops as she leans on the railing. I do the same a few feet away, and Weiss looks away trying to hide a smile. I’m not sure how I feel about that, and then her face falls.

“May I...ask your assistance with something?” she says, looking straight ahead.  

“Sure.” I say, agreeing to our unspoken contract to forget what happened in the hallway.

“I…” she stops to gather herself. “The Schnee Dust Company treats faunus horribly.” She looked down, and I had to bite my tongue to let her finish. “I know that there’s no way I can make that better...but...I want people to know.” Her knuckles turn white gripping the railing. “I know that every faunus who came from Menagerie, who saved us, was hurt by what my family is doing.” She turns towards me, but can’t look me in the eyes. “I know Blake was hurt and...I know you were too. I’m sorry.” She closes her eyes, and tears leak from under her eyelids. She looks away. “I want people to tell me what my family has done. I want to interview people, and record it, and go public with it. With everything.” She looks at me, eyes brimming with tears. “Would you…help me?”

“Yes.”

I said it instinctively, before I even realized it. I took her hands in mine and said it again, louder.

“Yes. I will help you.” She stepped forward, and we embraced without a second thought. I felt her chest shake with silent sobs, tears rolling down her cheeks and onto my jumpsuit. “It’s hard to get out of a bad situation. I know.” She squeezes tighter, surprisingly warm, and I find the feeling not disagreeable. “It...means a lot.” I say, trying to find the words to express what I feel, and she nods, rubbing her face against my chest. I feel her breathing slow, and she lets go, almost reluctantly, and my chest misses the weight of her presence. She wipes the tears from her face, daintily, with a single finger, the other arm hugging herself. Then, she swallows, looking me in the eye.

“Can I interview you?”

I nod. We find an empty room, posting a do-not-disturb on the door. We sit at a table, opposite one another, her scroll facing me, recording. Weiss gives me a silent nod to begin.

And I talk.

I tell her about my parents, how they worked in the dust mines to put me in an Atlesian school. 

I tell her about the spark that caused the chain reaction, killing everyone inside.

I tell her about the Company’s reaction, how they didn’t even reach out to me or any of the other next of kin. How they refused to admit fault. How I never even got bodies to bury. How they didn’t even try to recover them. How my parents’ personal effects were seized as company property to be auctioned off at prices I couldn’t afford in a million years. How they emptied the bank account my parents and paid blood and sweat and tears and ultimately their lives into without a second thought. Every time, I think I’m over their deaths, and every time I tell their story, open up to someone new, I realize I’m not. I probably won’t ever be. But telling it to Weiss feels a lot better than I expected, better than it’s ever felt before. When I’m done, she softly stops the recording, before walks around the table to me and gently envelops me in a hug, her arms soft and warm around me, my tears falling silently onto the white fabric of her sleeve. 

And she stays with me as long as I need her too. 

   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for reading! Any and all feedback is appreciated!


	8. Accelerate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is called Accelerate because the burn was too slow and I couldn't stop myself

     The following days are occupied interviewing the Faunus Militia before they go back home to Menagerie. Most require persuasion on my part, unconvinced of Weiss’ kindness, and the openings of many recordings are tense, long periods of silence or harsh remarks between Weiss’s question and the honest answer. Still, there’s a lot of people who don’t trust Weiss, don’t trust that she’s trying to do something good. It weighs on her, more than she wants to admit. Many interviews end with the two of us in a tight embrace, arms wrapped around each other, ragged breaths coming from her as she holds back tears. In the evenings we sit next to each other at dinner with everyone else, having coffee afterwards as we sit together on the roof or leaning over the balcony. She prefers double decaf espresso, no cream, no sugar, as bitter as she claims herself to be. We both know otherwise. It took her awhile to figure out how to make espresso herself; I myself have chamomile tea. Teabag, water, honey: simple. Tonight we stand on the porch, at the balcony, looking up at the stars, gently leaning against each other as she drinks her coffee and I drink my tea. 

It’s nice. 

 

     Approximately a week after the Battle for Haven, the press shows up; Vale News Network, The Mistral Reporter, and all the others. My mood sours; we faunus have never been presented in our best light. I see them scurrying around, setting up equipment. Weiss calls my name; I join her and the others for a meeting in the main room. It’s the two of us, all three of the Belladonnas, Qrow (surprisingly sober), Sun, Oscar, Team JNR, and Yang. 

“I think holding a press conference is in our best interests. Keeping silent is likely to only create more panic.” Ren says, to nods of agreement. 

“Fine.” Qrow says, clearly not pleased with any of this. “So who’s gonna do it?”

“Not me!” Ruby cries, hiding behind Yang. “Talking to people makes me nervous.”

“Me too.” Oscar says, looking down and blushing. Weiss clears her throat.

“May I?” she asks.

“Of course.” says Blake, knowing she speaks for everyone present. 

“Who here is comfortable giving a speech to a crowd?” Weiss asks, holding up her hand. Blake and her father do the same. Looking at them, she asks “Do either of you have experience talking to the press?”

Blake puts her hand down, Weiss and Ghira lock eyes and nod. 

“If it’s alright with you,” she begins, “I’d like to give a short statement, before giving you the floor.”

“Understood.” He says.

“What should the rest of us do?” Sun asks.

“You should stand still and keep your mouth shut” mutters Ghira under his breath, just loud enough so everyone can hear. Yang stifles a snicker. 

“All right, all right” Qrow says, sticking his hands in his pockets and sulking off. “Sounds like a plan.” 

I look to Weiss.  

“Do you need help writing your speech?” She smiles.

“I’d enjoy your company, if you don’t mind.”

I smile back.

“Of course I don’t.”

 

     As it turns out Weiss did not need my help, her speech written in looping script on the paper she holds in her hand, standing behind a podium someone found. I stand at her right hand, Ruby and Yang next to me. The Belladonnas stand at her left, Ghira in a dark violet robe. The others are scattered around; Ren and Nora stand together, Sun and some Menagerie Guards scattered in front. Oscar stands between Ruby and Qrow, who takes a sip from his flask before resuming glaring at the reporters in his usual style. Weiss clears her throat and begins.       

“Thank you all for your patience. Recently, Haven Academy came under attack by the same faction that attacked Beacon, aided by Headmaster Lionheart. As you can see, they were unsuccessful. No one was hurt, although three members of this hostile faction were killed in apparent infighting, including Professor Lionheart and the individual who masterminded the fall of Beacon.”

She gestures to Ghira. 

“In addition, several members of a radical faunus terrorist group led by Adam Taurus attempted a large-scale bomb attack on Haven Academy and the surrounding residential area. It is only due to the actions of Ilia Amitola,” -she gestures to me- “who defused the bombs, Ghira Belladonna, and the actions of the Faunus Militia, who made the long journey here from Menagerie, that Haven is not currently a smoking pile of rubble.” 

A murmur of muttering comes from the reporters. Weiss turns her head to me, flashing me a brilliant smile. 

“Make no mistake,” she says, making a wide, sweeping motion with one arm. “The actions and heroism of all the citizens of Menagerie cannot be underestimated. With that,” she says, gesturing towards Ghira, “I’d like to turn the podium over to and introduce Ghira Belladonna, Chieftain of Menagerie.”       

He takes his place, gripping the podium with both hands. He looks at the reporters, slowly, confidently sweeping his gaze over them. 

“If anyone has any questions,” he says. “I will do my best to answer them.”

 

The press conference goes on. Questions are asked and answered. Most of them are honest, and Ghira returns those designed to make Faunus look bad with stinging touchés with practiced ease. I find it hard to pay attention; Weiss is standing next to me, standing ramrod straight, trembling. 

“Hey.” I say. “You okay?”

There’s a small, almost invisible shake of her head. 

“Do you need to get out of here?”

She turns to me, teary eyes blazing with determination, shaking her head.

“You want to stay until Ghira’s done?”

Nod.

“Ok.”

I rest my left hand on her shoulder; a small tremor runs through her. I lift my hand off, and Weiss pushes herself under my arm, melting into a hug, her right arm across by back, pulling me close you her. 

“Better now?” I say, looking at her. She looks better.

“Yes.” she says, her voice a tight whisper. I squeeze her a little tighter. 

“Good.”

 

The press conference ends shortly after that. The moment Weiss is out of sight of the cameras she starts to hyperventilate. I feel a pang of worry hit me in the stomach.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, my hand on her shoulder, her hands grasping her temples.

“Father is going to kill me.” she says in a terrified whisper, hunching over herself. In seconds, her entire team wraps her up in a group hug, muttering some version of “It’s gonna be ok.” Blake leaves a spot open for me, and I join in. I feel a weight press upon me; I look up and find my head pinned between Yang’s back and Ghira’s chest. 

This is it.

This is how I die.

I hear a muffled voice from inside the hug pile. 

“I’m alright. Thanks.” 

We gently untangle ourselves, and I can breathe again. Thank dust. Weiss fiddles with her hair, getting it back into its usual ponytail. 

“Wanna get something to eat?” Yang asks. 

“How about cookies!” Ruby says. “You can’t be sad if you’ve got cookies!” 

“Are you just saying that because you want cookies, Ruby?” Blake asks.

“No! Well, I mean….kinda. I pretty much always want cookies.”  

Weiss giggles.

“I’d never say no to your cookies, Ruby. Just don’t eat all the chocolate chips first like last time.” 

Ruby pouted, grumbling under her breath.

“I’ve always found some nice comfort food helps.” I say. “Do you want me to make some tacos or something?”

Weiss smiles at me. She’s got a nice smile.

“I’d like that.”

 

When dinner’s over, Weiss sits at the table, hands in her lap, eyes downcast. I walk over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder. 

“Hey.” I say. “You doing alright?”

She looks up at me, reaching over to put her hand on mine, and I fight to keep my skin from turning pink. 

“I’m….doing better.” she says. 

“When I’m in a bad mood, I like to look at the stars” I say, the words coming out of my mouth before I can stop myself. Weiss looks up at me, expectantly, and all I can think is  _ fuck it _ . “Do you want to look at the stars with me?”

When I work up the courage to peel my eyes from my shoes I see Weiss smiling at me.

“I would like nothing more, Ilia.”


	9. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had the first part laying around for a while but thought I already uploaded it u_u

It’s a clear, moonless night. We sit together, leaning with our backs against the wall, too close and too far apart at the same time. 

“This is nice.” Weiss says.

“Yeah.” I agree. 

The silence stretches out. 

“I’ve never seen the stars like this.” Weiss says. “There was so much light pollution in Atlas I couldn’t see them.”

“Really?” 

“Yeah.”

“When I was a kid and couldn’t sleep, my Dad would take me to the roof and point out all the constellations to me.”

“You know all their names?” she asked. “Can you show me?”

“Sure.” I say, and point. “See that repeating pattern of stars around the horizon? That’s The Everlasting Dragon. It encircles the heavens, eating it’s own tail. See that over there? That’s the Dragon’s Head, and it points north.”

“Wow.” Weiss says, softly, and I smile.

“See that kinda rough rectangle?”

“Where?”

“Where I’m pointing.”

“Hold on.” 

She scoots closer, leaning her head against my shoulder, looking down my pointing arm, and I’m so glad she can’t see my skin turn pink in the dark. “I see it now.” she says.

“Right.” I swallow. “That’s The Gods’ Hammer. If the moon was out, it’d look like a it smashed the moon.” Weiss makes a small noise, something along the lines of a ‘Huh’ or ‘Cool.’ I keep going. “Over there are The Four Maidens and The Wizard’s Cottage. There’s The Hourglass, right next to Quintavius The Scholar.”

“Wow.” Weiss says. “It’s amazing you know all of these.”

I blush in the dark.

“These are just the major ones. Let’s see….” I bite my lip, trying to remember Dad’s lessons. “I think that’s The Nevermore, see? And there’s Heaven’s Sword, and The Lovers.” 

I can hear my heart hammering in my chest, and pray Weiss can’t hear it, her head still on my shoulder. My arm falls down to my side, my hand landing next to hers, my pinky finger laying on her thumb. “That’s about all I know.” I say to fill the growing silence.

“You know a lot.” Weiss says. She clears her throat. “When, um, all this is over, when Haven is safe again, are you going back to Menagerie?”

My breath catches in my throat and my guts feel like they’re about to rip through my ribcage. My mouth opens and closes, trying to make words.    

“I’ll miss you.” she says, voice thick with emotion, her hand pulling away from mine. My hand shoots out, my fingers interlacing with hers. She’s staring at me, wide-eyed, and I swear I can see my pink reflection in those eyes. 

“I want to be with you.” someone says, and a second later I realize I’m that someone.   

“Really?” She says it like she doesn’t believe it. I lean closer, putting my hand on her cheek, and she melts into it.

“Of course.” I say, breathless. Her hands run up the straps of my harness, gripping them tightly, pulling me closer and I pull her face towards mine.

I close my eyes as our lips meet and the world goes sideways. 

I open them and we’re lying on our sides, looking into each others eyes, my lips tingling with the ghost of her. Our noses brush against each other and it takes all my self control not to kiss her again. 

“I want to kiss you.” she says, voice husky with passion.

“Me too.” I say and my resistance crumbles, our lips meeting and parting in a messy dance, her fingers waltzing up and down my back, my hands tangled up in her hair; I push myself up so she’s lying underneath me and I feel her lips smile as we kiss. I break it off, pull away, gasping for breath, opening my eyes to see her smiling beneath me, looking the happiest I’ve ever seen her as she wraps her arms around me in a tight hug, her head buried in the crook of my neck, and I feel tears fall from her eyes.

“Are you alright?” I say, alarmed.

“I’m sorry.” she says, voice cracking. “I never thought I’d be this happy.”

“You deserve it.” I say, wiping the tears from her eyes with my thumb. “You’re one of the kindest, most caring, most compassionate people I’ve ever met, and you deserve the world.”

“Will you be my world?” she asks, cradling my head in her hands. 

“If you’ll be mine.” I reply, doing the same, pulling her lips onto mine. When the kiss breaks, I say “Look, I can hold the whole world in my hands.” She snickers, smiling happily, and I feel like I’m floating, and I feel her curl up around me. 

“Something wrong?” I ask. 

“I’m a little cold.” she says, looking up at me, cuddling my torso. She gives me a sly smile. “However, I do know of a bed which is very soft and very warm. Would you like to join me?”

I kissed her and said “I would like nothing more.”

 

Her bed was, indeed, soft and warm, but not nearly as warm as her arms wrapped around me, not nearly as soft as her lips on mine. I held her close, planting a soft kiss on her forehead. Weiss squeezes closer, her head resting on my clavicle, one arm wrapped around me, squeezing me tight, the other wrapped tight around my harness. Her legs tangle with mine in an awkward embrace. She mumbles something into my chest.

“Hm?” I ask.

She looks up at me, teary eyed.

“Can you hold me?” she asks. I hug her closer to me. She clings to me like how a drowning man clings to a lifebelt. “Hold me close and don’t let go. Please.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’ll still be here in the morning?”

“Of course.”

She burrows deeper into my embrace, and we, together, fall asleep.  


	10. Talk to me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (shows up to pride month 27 days late with starbucks and an update)  
> Kinda threw out a big part of this chapter and had to rewrite it because I didn't like my first "plot"  
> More development for background ships and Ponytails in this chapter and upcoming ones, coming soon, I promise.

I awake with a start, as I always do. But I don’t awake alone; looking at Weiss, I see her looking up at me, hair messy, eyes bright.   
“Good morning.”  
“Good morning.”  
“Did I wake you?”  
“No. Did I?”  
“No, I just wake up like that.”  
We stare into each other’s eyes. It is, simultaneously, an eternity and not long enough.   
“This is nice.” she says.  
“It is.”   
She nuzzles my chest.   
“I want to stay like this forever.”  
I smile down at her.  
“You can.”  
“But I’m hungry.” she whines. She catches a look at my skin, a vibrant pink, and laughs. “Not like that.”  
I’m too embarrassed to respond.   
“Breakfast?” she asks.   
“Sure.”  
We leave the room, hand in hand, coming face-to-face with Blake and Yang. She holds a small box in her hand. Weiss seems annoyed.  
“For fuck’s sake” she says, deadpan. Yang’s smile widens as she shoves the box into my hands.   
“Took you dorks long enough.” she says. “We got you something!”  
“You’re one to talk.” Weiss shoots back. Yang and Blake look at each other.   
“So....you too?” I ask.   
Silence.  
Uncomfortable silence.  
“I’m still mad about this.” Weiss says, gesturing to the box in my hand.  
“Why?” I ask. “It’s a gift.”   
Weiss looks me dead in the eyes and deadpans “Ilia, I guaran-fucking-tee you there’s a strap-on in that box. This is from the woman who got Sun and Neptune matching cock rings for their anniversary. Who got me a vibrator as a belated 18th birthday present. It’s a strap-on. Guaranteed.”  
I feel my whole body blush as I slowly raise my gaze to meet Yang’s who collapses into uncontrollable laughter. Even Blake let out a short, soft laugh.   
“What can I say?” Yang says, shrugging. “It was funny.”   
“What’s funny is that you two haven’t talked about your obvious feelings for each other.” Weiss said, her arms holded, her voice deadpan.   
Yang’s face drops like a boulder falling off a cliff; she turns away, hesitant, before dashing off. Blake reaches out for her arm, fingertips brushing her skin but grasping empty air.   
“Oh fuck.” Weiss whispers softly as Blake dashes off in pursuit. Weiss turns to me. “I’m a bitch, aren’t I?”  
It’s a hard question to answer.  
“I mean...it is true.”  
She sighed.  
“We should go after them.”  
“Yeah.”

We lay on the edge of the roof. Below us is a balcony. Yang was planning on vaulting off it when Blake burst out. Now Yang’s hanging off the edge, ready to drop down, Blake leaning on the railing above maybe six feet away.   
“Yang…” Blake starts.  
“Don’t look at me.” Yang snaps, turning her face away. Blake obliges, staring out at the horizon.   
“If these two don’t make up I’m going to scream.” Weiss whispers next to me.   
“I have no idea what’s going on.” I whisper back. “Although Yang did welcome me to The Gay For Blake Club.” Weiss snorts in laughter.  
“Long story short, these two have been will-they-won’t-they since team RWBY was created.”  
“Ah.”  
Weiss gestures below us.  
“Yang.” Blake says, her voice soft and vulnerable, almost pleading. She says it again. “Yang.” And then, “Please.”   
Silence.  
“Why?” Yang responds. “If you were going to come back, why did you leave?” Her voice breaks. “Why did you hurt me like that?”   
“I…,” Blake starts and restarts. “I was scared, Yang. When I saw Adam...when he found me…  
“I spent years trying to hide somewhere he wouldn’t find me. I ran halfway across the world. But there he was. And...there were you.” Blake’s voice breaks. She stops. And takes a breath to steady herself. Yang glances towards her.   
“You almost died, Yang! Because of me!”  
She hangs her head, ears drooping, trying to speak through the tears.   
I...I couldn’t.” she says. “I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t face you.”  
“Why not?” Yang shoots back, her voice thick with emotion. “Why not, Blake?”  
“I….I couldn’t risk it. I couldn’t hurt you again.”  
Yang responded with a dry, humorless laugh.   
“If I wasn’t willing to get hurt for you, do you think I still would’ve tried to help?” She turned away. “You leaving hurt more than any sword ever could.”  
“Yang…” Blake stops, halting. Her eyes, like Weiss’ and mine, are drawn to the stark white airship, approaching the city low and fast.  
When Blake looks back down, Yang isn’t there anymore.   
“What is it?” I ask. Weiss is looking at the ship with an expression I can’t place.  
“Winter.”  
“Who?”  
She swallows.  
“My sister.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which everyone prepares for Winter's arrival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really looking forward to the next chapter! This one's a little short but I really liked where it seemed to naturally end

Weiss turned on her heel, striding off, purposeful, extruding an aura of faint panic. 

“Weiss?”

She turns to me, eyes wide. 

“How do I look? How’s my hair?”

I cupped her face, giving her forehead a kiss.

“Beautiful as ever.”

She hugged me in return.

“Sorry. I’m panicking.”

“Tell me about your sister. Do you two get along?”

“I...I don’t know.” A single tear rolls down her left cheek, tracing down her scar. “She got out when I was younger. We’ve only seen each other a handful of times.”

I leaned forward, out foreheads touching.    

“It’ll be ok. I promise.”

She smiled, eyes closing happily, peacefully.  

“Thank you, Ilia.” 

Her eyes snapped open.

“Qrow.”

“What about him?”

“Last time they met, they wrecked Beacon’s central courtyard. Only the intervention of General Ironwood stopped them from trashing the school.”

“Oh my dust.”

“They have a...strange relationship.”

“Oh for fuck’s...you think they’re crushing on each other.”

“I don’t think. I know. Trust me.”

“I’m just thankful our relationship isn’t so complicated.”

“Me too. Shall we let him know?”

“You want to get them together?”

She smirked mischievously.

“You bet.” 

When we knocked on Qrow’s door, he answered it looking noticeably less disheveled then normal, running a hand through his hair to make it look like something resembling a comb had passed through it. 

“Yeah, I know, kid. Buzz off.” he growled, slamming the door. I turned to Weiss and gave her a pointed look.

“Oh?”

She smiled back. 

“Told you.”

Weiss strutted off, leaving me with the steadily increasing dread that had begun since the ship had appeared on the horizon. 

“Weiss?” I asked, nervously.

“Hmm?” she turned, her face falling when she sees my expression. “Ilia? What’s wrong?”

“What about…” I made a waving gesture that hopefully conveyed some of the unease I was feeling. “Us? What about...me?”

She stopped, covering her mouth with her hand.

“Oh, dust.”

“Yeah.”

“Oh,  _ shit.” _

“Well...yeah!” I exclaimed. I took her hands in mine. “Is she gonna be…”

“I don’t know.” Weiss said blankly, staring off into nothingness. “I don’t know.”  She snapped out of it, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug, my hands coming to rest cupping her shoulder blades. “But it’s going to be okay. I’ll make it okay. I promise.” I buried my face into the nape of her neck, breathing in the scent of her hair. 

“I know you will.” I say, hoping it’s true. “I know you will.” 

Everyone assembled at the entrance to the school as the ship made it’s approach, the tinted black windows glaring down at us, backdropped against the setting sun. We stood, weapons sheathed but ready. “After all,” Weiss had said, “we don’t know for sure it’s her.”  
“And if it’s your Dad?” Qrow asked.  
Weiss didn’t answer, snapping the chamber on her rapier with grim fanality, a dark scowl clouding her features. Qrow stood in front, Ruby and Oscar at his right hand, Weiss and I at his left. Jaune stood next to us, glancing occasionally at Weiss. Ren and Nora stood next to him. Yang stood off to one side, glasses on, leaning against a pillar without a care in the world. Blake stood in the shadows, as close to Yang as she dared. Sun and the Belladonnas had chosen to retire for the night. “I’m sorry.” Weiss had said. Ghira had laid an gentle hand on her shoulder and said. “It’s okay.”  
The ship’s landing gear gently impacted the courtyard.  
“Does she know about Blake?” I asked Weiss.  
“I thought it best not to tell.” she replied.  
I nodded, and gave her hand one final squeeze as the door slowly hissed open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really liked how this one came out!


	12. Multiship C-C-C-COMBO

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I know I haven't exactly been Johnny-On-The-Spot with the uploads so here's an extra long chapter  
> Also fair warning this chapter switches POV a lot  
> Main ships are Ilia/Weiss (duh) Blake/Yang, and Qrow/Winter with background Ren/Nora and Ruby/Oscar

Two silhouettes stood, backlit by white light. If I know anything about Schnees, they absolutely did that on purpose. No offense, Weiss. They started down the ramp, their fancy shoes clicking as they walked. One was tall, wearing white pants and coat that matched her hair, contrasting with her blue blouse and red broach. The other was short, or at least shorter, broad and bald and mustached, wearing a sweater that _screamed_ ‘middle aged dad,’ though his outfit followed the same color scheme of white and light blue. His face was cherry, eyes bright, while her face was cold, blank, and expressionless. I repressed a shiver; Weiss seemed to relax.

“Is that her?” I whispered.

“Yeah.” Qrow replied. “That’s her.”

“Who’s the guy, Weiss?” Ruby asked.

“Klein.” she said, a small smile crossing her features. “The butler.”

“Oh, so you have a butler as well?” I joked. Weiss gave me a smile, along with a look that said _not now._

The pair came to a stop in front of the group. Qrow cocked his head.

“How you been, Ice Queen?”

She looked past him, locking eyes with Weiss.

“Weiss.”

“Winter.” She looked over at the man next to her sister, her face softening, a hint of a smile playing over her lips. “Klein.”

He smiled widely and bowed his head.

“It’s good to see you again, Miss Schnee.”

Winter cleared her throat politely, but pointedly.

“Are you...well?” she asked, addressing Weiss.

“I am.” she replied. “How have you been faring in Atlas?”

“Things have been...strained. It’s impressive that you managed to save the day. I’m...proud of you.”

For Weiss, it was a touching, emotional moment.

For the rest of us, it was _fucking awkward as hell._

“Will...you be staying this time?” Weiss tentatively asked. A smile, or maybe what Winter Schnee thought was a smile, played over Winter’s lips.

“For the foreseeable future. General Ironwood and Professor Goodwitch have things under control for the time being. Weiss’ face broke out into a wide smile, her eyes tearing up.

“That’s good to hear.” she said, trying to keep her voice stable. “Really good to hear.” she turned to the Butler. “Klein, would you like to join the others for refreshments inside?”

He gave a little bow.

“Absolutely, Miss Schnee.”

As a group, we awkwardly shuffled through the wooden double doors, leaving the two sisters alone in the courtyard. Winter pierces me with an icy stare.

_Does she know?_

I break eye contact and slip inside, the heavy oak doors slamming shut behind me.

 

 

 

The second the doors close, Weiss launches herself at Winter, wrapping her sister in a crushing hug, Winter responding in kind.

“It’s just...I’m...I’m so glad you’re back.” Weiss chokes out. Winter doesn’t respond, but when the hug breaks there are tears in her eyes.

“Weiss…” she begins, “I am so sorry. I never should have left you.”

“It’s okay-”

“No! It’s not!” Tears are flowing freely now, on both of their faces. “I...I…”

“I don’t blame you.” Weiss says, and Winter freezes up. “I don’t blame you, or hate you, or think whatever you think I do. You did the best you could. We both did. You’re the reason I’m the person I am today, a person I’m proud to be. And I thank you for that. Okay?”

Winter nods.

“Okay.”

 

Klein bows, formally, in front of all of us.

“A pleasure to meet you all.” he says. “Klein Sieben, at your service.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, Klein,” Qrow growls, his arms crossed, “where’s Jacqueass Schnee?”

“Far from here.” Klein reassures. “Neither Miss Schnee-Miss Winter Schnee, that is- nor myself have any affiliation with...him.” His brows furrow. “Nor do we wish to.”

Qrow gives a curt nod.

“Alright.” He sticks out his hand. “Qrow Branwen.” Klein takes it.

“I’ve heard all about you-purely good things, of course.”

“Oh, well now I know you’re lying.”

“That you’re too hard on yourself, for instance.”

Qrow scowls, like he believes this too is a lie.

“I didn’t know Weiss had a butler!!! This is soooooo cool!!!!” Ruby gushes.

“Technically, I was merely the house butler…” Klein stutters, taken slightly aback. “Are you, perchance, Miss Ruby Rose?”

“Yup! Ruby Rose, that’s me!” she replies, striking a pose, pointing to herself.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Rose.” he replied, shaking her hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Is that so.” Qrow says, his voice deadpan and low and dangerous.

“Weiss wrote letters.” Klein said, defensively. Qrow doesn’t look convinced and Ruby, as always, plowed on doggedly.

“This is my big sis Yang! And this is Jaune, Ren, and Nora!”

“Ah, yes, Weiss told me about you all. A pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance.”

“The pleasure is ours.” Ren replied politely.

“Yeah!” Nora agreed.

“And this is Oscar and Ilia.: Ruby continued. Oscar holds his cane in front of him like a shield, his shoulders hunched. I swallow hard, doing all I can to keep my skin tone constant.

“You probably haven’t heard of us.” he says, eyes downcast.

“We’re...new.” I say.

“I see.” he replies, shaking each of our hands in turns and I hope he doesn’t feel my skin crawl at his touch.

The doors swing open, revealing Weiss and Winter, the former holding carrying a plain white violin case. Both of them have red-rimmed eyes.

“You guys done hugging it out or what?” Qrow asks.

“Something like that.” Winter replies coolly. The air regains its previous tension. Then Weiss speaks.

“Klein was kind enough to bring my violin from home. Would you like to hear my play?” She says, sweetly.

“Wow! I didn’t know you played!” Ruby exclaims.

“Piano, Violin, _and_ opera.” Winter explains in a tone of voice that’s infuriating condescending. She doesn’t even realize she’s doing it; that’s just how she talks.

Weiss lays the case on the ground, unlatching it to reveal a matte white violin and bow inside. She picks it up gracefully, resting her chin on the instrument as she begins to play a classic waltz. She’s good. Like, _really_ good. I lean up against the wall, watching Weiss play, watching Ren and Nora pair off and begin to dance, Jaune gently pushing Oscar towards an oblivious Ruby, Yang slinking away to the balcony, a black blur pursuing her, unnoticed. Qrow and Winter stand in the center of the room, the dancing pairs of Ren and Nora and Oscar and Ruby slowly circling them. Qrow stepped forward, holding his hand aloft.

“Would you care for this dance?” He asks, one eyebrow cocked. Winter steps forward, taking his hand.

“I wasn’t aware you knew how.” she snarked.

“Gimme the chance and I’ll surprise you.” Qrow flirted.

“Oh?” Winter replied. “Surprise me, then.”

 

 

 

Yang stood, leaning on the balcony, looking out at the sunset. She heard soft footsteps behind her, which she pointedly ignored.

“It’s not like you to hide in the shadows.” Blake said.

“Yeah...that’s your thing.” Yang shot back.         

Blake hugged herself, her face downcast, her ears flattened against her scalp in shame. Yang turns away.

“I was there for you when you needed help.” she says, gripping her trembling prosthetic in her organic hand so hard her knuckles turn white. “Why couldn’t you be there for me? Why weren’t you?”

Blake took up position next to Yang. “You were there when I needed you. And I’m eternally thankful for that.” Her amber eyes fell, welling with tears. “It’s...my greatest regret. I know there’s nothing I can do to fix it. But I’m still sorry.”

Their eyes met.

“You’re here. We’re here.” Yang said. “Together. And that’s all that matters...somehow.”

Blake turns, grasping Yang’s shoulders, pulling her close.

“Yang.” she says, tears running down her cheeks. “Nothing else matters. Nothing else matters...but you.”

 

 

 

“Well,” Winter said, leaning back as Qrow pulls her out of the dip, “color me surprised.”

“I warned you, didn’t I?” Qrow says, smirking, as the song neared its end.

“I suppose you did.” the Ice Queen replied.

They separated as the final notes of the song drifted through the air.

“Something on your mind, your grace?” Qrow asked with mock formality.

“...Perhaps.” Winter admitted. “Shall we retire somewhere…” She glanced around the room, the dancing couples, her sister starting up another song, the blonde haired boy and dark ponytailed girl leaning against the wall. There was something about that girl. “More private?” Qrow finished.

“Indeed.”

“Alright.”

Winter followed Qrow to the former headmaster’s office, the hunter holding the door for her. The door shut behind them.

“It’s been a while since we’ve last met.” Winter said. The air was thick with a tension neither could quite identify.

“Yeah.” Qrow said, shrugging. “Guess so.”

“I see you’ve adopted a few new children.” Winter said.

“I’m not a dad.”   

“And yet they follow you around like ducklings.” Winter said, smiling. Qrow rolled his eyes.

“What did you really want to say?”

She sighed, eyes flickering to the floor, then back at him.

“How have you been holding up, Qrow?”

He shrugged, then reached for his flask, then remembered that he hadn’t brought it today. Hadn’t brought it the past couple of days, come to think of it.

“Qrow?”

“I heard ya.” he said, crossing his arms to keep them still. “I guess I haven’t been a complete failure.”

“ _Qrow.”_

“What?” he said, indignant. “It’s true.”

Winter stepped forward, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder.

“You’re a good man, Qrow. Whether or not you believe it.” Qrow turned his head, avoiding her gaze. “It’s true.”

“Yeah, right.” Qrow said, still looking away.

“Qrow.” He ignored her. “Look at me.” she demanded. “If there’s one thing I know about you it’s that you’re not a failure.”

“Yeah?” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Is that the only thing you know about me?”

“Of course not.” Winter replied, flirting. “I even have a list.”

“Oh? Let’s hear it then.” Qrow said, stepping closer. Winter looked up at him, their faces overwhelmingly close.

“Five things: You’ll do what you say you’ll do. You’re not afraid of much. You love your nieces. You’re far too hard on yourself. And…” Winter’s voice tapered off as she stared into Qrow’s maroon eyes.

“And what?” he asked, calloused hands gently grabbing her shoulders. “I only counted four things.”

Winter bit her lip, struggling to tear her eyes away from Qrow’s, her hands playing with the fringe of his coat.

“And...I’m deeply attracted to you.”

Silence. Winter searched Qrow’s face, searching for some reaction, some emotion.

Finally, he spoke.

“Winter.” he said. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

Winter was right; Qrow Branwen had always been a man of his word.

 

 

Yang and Blake stood, together, in a hug that neither wanted to pull away from. The soft sound of Weiss’ violin drifted in the air, one song ending; another, beginning. Blake pulled her face from Yang’s jacket and found herself staring into the purple eyes of her partner.

“This is the song we danced to back at Beacon.” Blake realized.

“You remembered.”

“Of course I remembered!” 

“I wasn’t sure.” Yang said. “You didn’t exactly...stick around.”

Blake opened her mouth to say something, but Yang cut her off. “That was shitty of me. I’m sorry.” 

There was a spot of silence as Blake tried to figure out what to say.

“You didn’t dance with anyone else that night.” she finally said. 

“I didn’t want to dance with anybody else.” Yang replied. 

Blake slowly shifted her hands over Yang’s jacket.

“Would you...like to make up for lost time?”

The ghost of a smile flicked across Yang’s face. 

“Yeah.” she says, moving into dance hold. “I would.”

They dance, settling into a rhythm that’s familiar and new and wonderful all at the same time, silent except for the music, speaking volumes with their eyes as they looked at each other as they danced. And when the song ended they stayed together and danced to the next one. And the song after that. And the song after that. By the time Weiss had stopped playing it was nearly midnight, the full moon soaring high in the night sky.

“Yang…” Blake said as they stood in the moonlight, holding on to each other’s arms, “If you’ll let me...I’ll never leave your side.”

“I know.” Yang said, wrapping all her feelings of the past months into those two simple words. She cradled Blake’s face in her hands, the cool metal of the prosthetic against her cheek. Blake looks at it, and a thin stream of tears runs down her face. Yang brushes it away with her thumb, her organic thumb. 

“Blake…” she says as Blake starts to cry, her eyes closing in a futile attempt to stem the flow of tears. Yang pulls her close, hands smoothing down raven-black hair as she carefully, gingerly plant a tender kiss on Blake’s forehead. Blake opens her eyes, and sees that Yang’s crying too, crying happy tears. 

“Blake…” she says, smiling through the tears. “I love you, Blake.”

“I...I love you too.” Blake replies, guilty tears still flowing. Yang smiles, happier than she’s been in months. 

Their lips meet, silently conveying all the love and pain and longing that their hearts had withstood these past months. They kissed in the moonlight, tears running down their cheeks, neither willing to go another day without the other, without  _ this. _

“I know, Blake. I know.” said Yang, cracking her first joke in months, making an ugly, candid laugh explode from Blake’s aching chest. 

They were here, together. And that was all that mattered, somehow.    

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> could you tell that I've been listening to BMBLB and All That Matters back-to-back on repeat for the last week?  
> also I know this chapter is a bit light on the Ilia/Weiss but it'll balance out with the next chapter ;)


End file.
